Aspergers and Driving

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Driving age here is 18. I got my learner permit at 27, my probationary licence at twenty eight and last week after 3 years got my full licence. I am quite a good driver sure. When I got my full licence last week I could.

*ditch the P plates
*don't have to carry my licence at all times
*can drive high powered vehicles
*.05 alcohol instead of .00
*get 12 points over 3 yrs instead of 5

I am a very good driver, driving up to 30 000 miles per year for 7 years. I have only had two crashes, both in the same Tesco car park - one on the first night after I had passed and I was racing some friends (we were just foolish teens), and another when I was pulling into a space and someone walked into it at the same time. I panicked and slightly scraped the car in the next space rather than hit the person (the existence of the brake peddle escaped my mind!).
Once I get out of the car, I am a liability though - I have no spacial awareness on foot, always walking into people and objects, and often out into the road without remembering to look!

I've heard examples of people with Asperger's being interested and passionate about cars. There is no doubt in my mind that they would be a bad driver. However, good/bad driving is pretty universal for neurotypical people and people with Asperger's. There are good drivers and bad drivers.

I haven't tried to get my license yet, but I think I will enjoy it. Driving is so calm. The vibrations from the road really relax your sensory systems and help me from being overwhelmed. When I was a baby, driving around was the only way I could become calm enough to sleep.

I had a commercial driver's license for several years, drove long-haul truck for 4 years. Which means I pass a background check and random drug tests. I have a clean driving record-no tickets, no accidents. I am 44. I have never had an accident {thank God} and so I would say I am a good driver. However, apparently I am not fast enough for some of the asshats in this town-- I have driven all over the country, but never been verbally assaulted for going TOO SLOW until I moved to this place. However, there are a lot of redneck jerks here, admittedly. I even got along in southern California just fine, and those people don't mess around, they want you OUT OF THE WAY---NOW !

I'm 21. I've never had a car because I don't want & need one.

I am studying for my permit now but i dont think will get my license for a while though as i live near a Train station

all the noise overwhelms me and its very hard to concentrate behind the wheel. I don't drive though i learnt to few yrs ago.

I passed my driving test first time, over 15 years ago. Since then I've not had an accident and not had any speeding tickets or any points on my liscence.
I suppose that means I'm an adequately safe driver. I do drive a fair amount, almost daily, I have to.
I do have to make a conscious effort though to concentrate (which I manage to do) because generally, in a lot of situations I can tend to daydream. I obviously can't do this if I'm driving.

I think confidence has a lot to do with it.

Is there anyway to increase your concentration when driving? I lose concentration very easily. Is this an Asperger trait or not? Please help. I'm desprate.

I'm hoping to try to get my liscence in the foreseeable future. In the past I've had trouble getting through the maneuverability course, in my family's car. The car was larger than the car I took driving lessons in, and so without knowing the precise accomadation I'd have to make, I did poorly. My parents even were wanting to chalk it up to my A.S., and were presuring me to try to get SSI. But my younger sister, whom to my best knowledge is not in any way neurodiverse, recently got her liscence, though she admitted that it was by the skin of her teeth, and that she's not the best at maneuvering either. I just know that especially given the rather remote rural area in which I live, being enabled to drive is essential to my eventually finding gainful employment. And I'd sure hate having to feel compeled to go on disability, just because supposedly my depth perception might be impaired. And even if it is, which I'm not saying, I think that it would be more so due to my dyscalculia, than my Asperger's Syndrome. But besides maneuverability, and perhaps also parallel parking.

i am a good driver. i learned to drive a car when i was about 30, and became a coachdriver when i was 36, now im a busdriver (sometimes drive coaches aswell), i am experienced with driving and i enjoy it too.

i think it sometimes depends how confident you are on the road. i was nervous when i first took my driving lessons and the tests and everything but i just found it was something i loved so i got more better at it then driving became my job.

I used to drive, I used to get into minor accidents. My vision is not so good.

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Sensory overload and Dyspraxia can make driving difficult at times.

I think I'm a decent enough driver but I admit I still fail at parking but it's only because I never get to drive and therefore get no practice!

I think I'm pretty terrible at driving, personally. However, the people around me on a daily basis usually say that I'm "great" at it most of the time, save for some of the times when they had to call me out mid-driving session on something that I'm doing.

Now I'm not saying that I am experienced at all. I am aware that I am a young lady who is learning how to drive, and being a young lady on the spectrum it's hard especially when there are impatient drivers around me, or when I have to recognize when to slow down before the oncoming traffic at the light; etc.

I want people to read what I say here in my first post on this site, despite being a user on here for many years; I never really had to use this site for help. And now is the time for me, and hopefully anyone else who may be in the same or similar boat as I am in; to try to be an influence somehow.

I especially hate it whenever drivers pass by me and my life aide (since I have only a driving permit, not a license) and give me a look or even a nasty hand signal at me, it's like come on guys, I may not look it but I have Asperger's Syndrome and I'm still learning how to freaking drive with most of yawl.

So sorry for this long post. I just wanted to put it out there where someone, anyone, can try to help me and anyone else who needs the help!

EDIT: Please try to be detailed if yawl can. My mind (and I'm sure that a lot of other Aspies and ADs) needs specific instructions and details... Thank you so much!!

I've driven for over 30 years and had only two accidents. Once when a drunk driver plowed into the side of my car (a 100 mph collision) and the second when the sky laid down an inch of hail whilst I was going around a sweeping corner on Dartmoor. I've driven 24 hours non-stop across two countries twice driving on both left and right sides of the road , driven in snow and torrential rain. I don't particularly enjoy driving though and don't understand people's passion for cars. To me, they're a way of getting from A to B and that's it - I rarely even wash my cars. I assume that I'm a good driver based on the number of accidents across time.